Recently Governor Bill Richardson participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in Santa Rosa at the proposed site of a new warm water species fish hatchery. The new facility will ultimately produce two million fish a year to be used to stock and replenish fish supplies statewide. The cost is estimated at around $8 million. The first part of the project should be completed by December and funding for the remaining construction is being awaited.

18 one-acre ponds will house bass, catfish, walleye, tiger muskies and maybe a few endangered species. The new hatchery will also include an education center for guests.

Tom Remington

New Mexico says it doesn’t have any money to test its fish for safe eating. Currently the state does not appropriate any money for fish testing.

Testing of fish for harmful chemicals is costly, running about $3,000 per fish. The only testing that has been done has come from modest grants received from federal programs. The results of those tests have been disturbing but it must be said that the tests are not statewide. Only portions of some bodies of water and certain species of fish have been tested.

The most prominent contaminants that are being found are PCBs and DDT or forms of DDT. DDT was banned from use in the early 70s.

Wes Smalling from the New Mexican has a complete rundown of what waters and fish were tested and any future plans for testing.

Tom Remington